Life Coaching Tip: The purpose of establishing routines and habits isn’t to fill up your days, but to free up mental energy for creativity, expansion, and growth. If you feel like you’ve gotten too rigid your routines and lost in the grind, it’s time to get off the hamster wheel. Create some space, shake up your routines, and step out of your comfort zone. This is the key to living a life that fulfills you!
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I think we can all agree that establishing healthy habits and consistent routines in our lives is a good thing. Am I right?
Gretchen Rubin, who I consider to be ‘The Queen of All Things Habits’, writes about the topic in her book, “Better than Before,” and she certainly makes a good point with this statement.
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”
It’s easy to see how this is true. Some healthy behaviors that may seem small or insignificant at first will compound over time, and they can provide life changing results if you’re willing to stick with them.
For instance, while brushing your teeth and flossing after each meal will give you fresh breath, you likely won’t truly notice the cumulative result of this habit, pristine dental health, until you are well into your senior years. It will be apparent though when you have healthy choppers in your 80s, while some of your pals have a mouth full of dentures.
Rubin says one of the best reasons for creating healthy habits is that they become routine or automatic for us, therefore saving us from having to constantly make decisions. This then frees us to use our mental energy for other things, like creativity, expansion, and growth.
One example that always comes to mind when I think of this is of a client, Kate, who I coached several years back. Kate is an entrepreneur who works from home, and she came to her sessions several weeks in a row with the same “big” problem: Kate couldn’t figure out what time of day would be best for her to exercise.
Seriously, her brain would spin and spin about this decision.
“Maybe I should go to the gym first thing in the morning? … but I do like to get some work done when I first wake up.”
“Perhaps I should go mid-day for a break? … but then I’d have to shower in the middle of the day which takes up time?”
“Maybe I should go at the end of my workday? … but I’m usually tired, and I’m afraid I’ll blow it off.”
After a few weeks of this, I had to help her draw the line. “It’s time to decide! The easiest time to establish a new habit is first thing in the morning before your day kicks in and things start interfering with your schedule. Let’s just decide that you hit the gym first thing in the morning and then get on with your day. No more thought needs to go into this!”
This was such a huge relief for Kate, no more mind-drama about it. She quickly created her morning workout routine, and her mind was free to focus on more important things, like her business.
So, yes, Gretchen Rubin is correct. There are important reasons for creating healthy routines and habits in our lives.
But here’s what I’d like to point out today.
It’s also important that we don’t get so rigid in our routines and habits that we go through our days like robots on autopilot, rinsing and repeating our way through life.
Remember, the purpose of establishing routines and habits isn’t to fill up our days, but to free up mental energy for creativity, expansion, and growth.
Creating this space is as significant as developing healthy routines and habits. Really, in my opinion, even more so.
You are meant to delve into your gifts and talents, explore, and express your originality.
Growing, stretching, challenging yourself… this is the juicy part of life.
And so, if you feel like you’ve gotten lost in the grind, it’s time to get off the hamster wheel. Create space for creativity, expansion, and growth. Shake up your routines and step out of your comfort zone.
Risk feeling vulnerable and try something new. Do something that scares you or go after something you’ve always dreamt of doing.
Make change a habit too.
It’s the key to living a life that fulfills you.
PS – As you were reading this, were you thinking, “Yeah Tracy, I want that, but I can’t seem to get going.” If so, you’re not alone. I can help. It’s what I do. Schedule your free consultation today and let’s talk about it.